Castle in the Sky: Beginning Again
by Joe-Snow
Summary: What happened after Pazu and Sheeta rode off into the sunset? Author's back baby!
1. The End of the Begining

**Castle in the Sky**

Beginning Again

Disclaimer: It's not mine, I'm just borrowing them. J Do not read unless you have watched the movie before. This takes place right after the end so spoilers are evident.

AN: This is my first _EVER _fanfiction, updates will be few and far in-between unless I get some reviews. They will be some serious motivation. I'm making this up as I go so if you have to flame it, make it constructive criticism. Thanks!  

**Chapter 1: The End of the Beginning.**

I stood there, watching as Sheeta said her goodbyes to Dola and her family. I wondered if we would ever be able to meet them again. They were on their way to start a life of relaxation and leisure……at least for a while. They were pirates after all.  
  


As for my self, I was probably going to head back to my home in the valley and try to restart my life as an engineer. I had worked with the boss and his family for almost six years. They were the closest thing I had to a family and me just disappearing must have them very worried. I realized with a start that the entire town in effect was my family. They all had a part in raising me. That I wanted to go back to the valley!

But what about Sheeta?

I glanced over at her where she was hugging Dola. I didn't know what she wanted.

Part of me wanted to take her to my home and she could live with me……But another part of me knew that she might want to return to her farm in Gondoa, a place with no danger, no adventure, and no Laputa.

I looked at her as we pushed off in the Kite from the small line of airships. She looked so happy that everybody was ok, but I knew that somewhere deep down she was hurting for the loss of her family, her People, and her life. She had come to terms with her life and was ready to die in Laputa to stop Muska.

And that terrified me……I knew that I would do anything to save her, that I would give up my own life if it would spare hers. 

As we started to drift away from Dola and her family, I made a promise to my self. That I would always be there for Sheeta. That no matter what, I would help her in any way that I can.

I unclasped my hand and looked at the small blue stone that I had made my oath on. The small stone that had brought us together. It's kind of hard to believe that something so simple could bring great destruction or…… I glanced at Sheeta again…… great beauty.

"Strange," I thought," Maybe we will get our "Happily ever after".


	2. A Semblance of Normal

**Castle in the Sky**

Beginning Again

Disclaimer: It's not mine, I'm just borrowing them. J Do not read unless you have watched the movie before. This takes place right after the end so spoilers are evident.

AN: Ok, I know that the first chapter was kind of short but I will try to fix that in upcoming chapters. I don't write much so this is a bit of a learning experience for me. The characters are a little OOC but I will work on that. Thanks to my reviewers!

**Chapter 2: A Semblance of ****Normal******

"Ouch!"

"Pazu, stop moving."

"But that hurt!"

"Well, what did you expect it to do. You were shot twice. Now be a good patient and let me clean this."

"I was only shot once."

"You were shot at more than once." I said, "You were lucky that only one grazed you. You'll never be able to wear those goggles again. Now sit back down and let me finish"

"It's only a scratch"

I sighed, "A scratch that will only get worse if it is not cleaned, now sit down before I tie you down."   

"Ok, if I have to……" He grinned

I smiled; He had jumped from bridges, flown threw hurricanes, attacked the most heavily defended base in the world with just a handful of pirates, along with any number of stupid things that I didn't know about.

 He did it all for me. And here he was afraid to get a wound cleaned.

I brushed back his hair and placed the pad against his cheek again. He flinched but stayed still.

I thought back over the last few hours.

****

We had landed at the nearest town that we could to try to rest and clean up from our journey. Pazu is an amazing pilot. He made a perfect landing in a field outside of town in a craft with no landing gear. We had walked the short distance into the town to try to find a place to stay. 

 As we passed street after street looking for some type of an inn, a door burst open just up the street to reveal a loudly singing man with a bottle hanging from his right hand. He stumbled down the stairs and fell flat on his face.

Pazu ran up to him as he tried to get up and failed.

"Hiya kids!" he slurred,"Come on, we have to go to the mayors to call a town meeting about all those flying fish." He finished saying this and then promptly fell asleap.

"Easy Goro, watch what your doing" said another man as he walked down the steps of the bar.

"Sorry about him kids, he had a bit too much to drink tonight. Going to take him home so he can sleep it off."

"Good luck." Said Pazu," He looks like he needs help remembering his own name."

"Ya got that right mate. Bye the way, the names Charles Murdock. Nice to meet ya." He said reaching out his hand.

Charles had a strange sounding accent as he made his introduction. Like he had come from a far away land and decided to stay. He had a kind face that always seamed to have a smile on it like he didn't have a care in the world. He wore a light blue shirt with a small dish towel thrown over his shoulder.

"Good evening Mr. Murdock" I said, curtsying slightly as Pazu shook his hand.

"Hold on just a sec, my fathers name is "Mr. Murdock". Call me Charley" he said with a smile. 

"Listen Mr. Charley, we're looking for the town Inn. We need a place to stay for the night. Do you think you could direct us there?" said Pazu.

"You kids do look like you've been through the weather. But guess what? You made it." He made a sweeping motion with his hands, "Welcome to my Inn: The Inn and Bar of the city of Norvallen. The name needs a little work but it'll do for now since we just opened three months ago. We're a little crowded this week, but I think I can squeeze a room out for you kids. By the way, what are your names? 

"My name is Sheeta, Mr. Charley, and this is Pazu."

"No "Mr." ok? I never liked to be addressed so formally. Say, what are you to kids doing traveling out here alone? Where are your parents?"

I looked down as Pazu glanced at me and said: "We would really rather not talk about it if that's ok."

"All right, but just one question; Are you running away from home?"

I smiled and said, "More like running to home."

"Sounds like a good plan." He said, "I ran away from home once. I made it till night fall when I realized that my parents don't allow me out after dark, so I went home. Now I better get this bum back home before his wife comes down and shouts up a storm."

"Does he do this often?" I asked

"Not really, but when he does his wife finds out that he did this, Goro here is going to spend the next couple of nights on the couch." He chuckled as the man called Goro gave a particularly loud snore as he slept on the ground. "Just go in and make yourselves at home and I'll be back soon to get your room ready.

He crouched down and picked up Goro, placed him on his shoulders, and walked off down the street like he had done this hundreds of times before.

I turned to Pazu, grabbed his hand and started to pull him towards to entrance of the Inn.

He stopped and said "Should we trust him? I want to, but I also want to be careful."

"I think we can." I responded, "I just have this feeling that he can help us."

"Ok." He said, "If you think we should, then we'll give him a chance."

And with that we entered our home for the next few days.

****

As I finished placing the bandage on his cheek I sat back and took a look at him.

He was dirty, that was the first thing that I noticed. He had been crawling threw tunnels and air ducts that hadn't been used in hundreds of years; of course he would be dirty. His eyes were closed, resting even if just for a few seconds. His Fathers goggles were still hanging from his neck, the glass smashed and a deep dent on one side of the casing where the bullet hit.

I suppressed a shudder as I realized that if it weren't for those goggles, Pazu would be dead and Muska would be in control of Laputa.

I had been staring at Pazu for a while just thinking and at some point he had woken up and was now looking at me with a puzzled expression.

I smiled and leaning forward placed a soft, light kiss on his bandaged cheek. I pulled back blushing slightly at his shocked expression.

"There," I said surprised at the tremor in my voice, "That should make it feel better."

He didn't say anything but just kept staring at me.

"Maybe I should get two rooms for you kids."

I jumped in shock. Charley was standing over us with a small smile on his face watching as Pazu and I turned deep red.

"But I don't have two rooms available so you two will just have to behave." He laughs, "Follow me, I'll show you to your room."

He leads us up the staircase and down a hall to the room at the corner of the building. As we walked, Pazu asked him if there was a river nearby that we could bath in.

"Sure, we have a river nearby; its two miles away and freezing cold though.  I might recommend the hot springs out back, their a little closer and more comfortable than the river." He said with a smile at Pazu's expression, "It's just outside the backdoor and down the path, can't miss it."

"Thank you sir!!" Pazu responded with a huge grin. 

I could understand his enthusiasm; it would be nice to have a hot bath instead of walking to some river. As we arrived at the room Charley said, "We might have a small problem with the room."

"What might that be?" I asked

He opened the door to show a sparsely furnished room with a table, two chairs, and a single bed inside.

"I was only able to get one bed, so either you two will just have to share or Pazu gets to sleep on the floor."

"I'll take the floor." Said Pazu

"Now wait just a minute!" I said, "I can always sleep on the floor."

"No, it's not gentlemanly to make the lady sleep on the floor. My father taught me several things about chivalry, and I don't plan to forget them." He said with a smile

"I be sure to bring up some extra blankets for you Pazu so you don't get cold." Said Charley smiling in the door way.

"Thank you Charley." I said glaring at Pazu.

As Charley closed the door I turned to Pazu and said, "You know, I don't have a problem sleeping on the floor."

"My father always said "Ladies first" so I will follow that rule. Besides, I'm use to it."

He stretched and said, "I'm going to the hot springs, I am in desperate need of a bath." 

I smiled and said, "I'll go down later, I just want to get some sleep."

I looked down and said in a small voice, "It's been a long day."

As I looked up I saw Pazu walk slowly to me and wrap his arms around me in a soft hug. As I returned it, he whispered to me in a soft voice, "Don't worry, every thing will turn out fine. I promise."

"I know. Good night Pazu."

He smiled and said, "Good night, my princess."

To be Continued…

AN: Charley has a strong Australian accent.  Just FYI.


	3. Reminiscing

**Castle in the Sky**

Beginning Again

Disclaimer: It's not mine, I'm just borrowing them. J Do not read unless you have watched the movie before. This takes place right after the end so spoilers are evident.

AN: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, sorrysorrysorrysorry about the late update. I'm a sucky writer so I have to make sure everything is PERFECT before I post it. And FF.net was being evil earlier.

Thanks to all my reviewers. I'm not quite sure where to go with this story so if you have any ideas PLEASE put them in a review.

Kudos to my first reviewer: Cutie Eskimo

THANKS   ^_^

**Chapter 3: Reminiscing**

As I slowly walked down the twisting dusty path that lead toward the hot springs I thought about what Sheeta had said. It _had_ been a long day I realized. Today we woke up flying through a wind storm, crash landed on a giant floating island in the sky, battled for our lives to try and protect humanity from a power hungry former Lapution, and discovered that Sheeta was of the royal line and the true ruler of the flying castle.

It had been a _very _long day.

I stopped my slow walk and thought about the first time I met her.

**************

I was running late, I knew it. The last time I was late I had to stay behind and help the boss re-oil the entire boiler. 

Mr. Duffi was a close friend of my fathers. When my father died, Mr. Duffi sort of became my un-official guardian.  As I ran up the hill towards the mine, I glanced up and saw what looked like a bright star slowly falling towards the ground. I speed up and as I drew closer the star began to look less like a star and more like a person surrounded by an intense white and blue light. I ran out across the catwalk that held the elevator cables and nearly lost my balance trying to get to the person. It was a girl I realized as she slowly floated down into my arms. The necklace that she was wearing was giving off a soft blue glow that quickly went out as she lay in my arms. 

"Pazu, what are you doing up there? Did you bring my dinner?"

"Boss!! This girl fell from the sky!!"

But I knew that he was far too busy to listen at that moment. Problems started to pop up all over the engine room as I tried to tell him what happened. As I climbed down to help him I glanced back at the girl and whispered, "Are you an angel?"

As I opened the door to my home, the angel on my back gave a soft snuffle and turned her head ever so slightly in here sleep. I stood still, hoping that she would wake up and yet praying that she wouldn't.  She merely let out a soft breath and went back to sleep with her head laying on my shoulder. I let out a sigh of relief and disappointment as I entered my home. 

I walked to my room and set her gently down on my bed and pulled the blanket over her sleeping form. I sat down next to the bed and looked at her, taking in her simple dress and long pigtails. I brushed back a hair that had come loose from her braid and marveled at its softness. Her face looked so calm in the candle light, like she didn't have a care in the world. I leaned forward and brushed my lips over her forehead before I blew out the candle and whispered, "Sweet dreams angel."

**************

I quickly snapped out of my slight reverie and continued my walk to the hot springs.  The sun was halfway down when I first saw them. The springs were placed in a small hollow with several large jutting boulders in the center of the small pool. I swiftly disrobed and slid into the nearly scalding hot water. I washed quickly and then leaned back against one of the large rocks and let the hot water relive some of the tension from the last few days

Less than five days ago, Sheeta literally fell into my life, and now I don't think that I could live with out her. She is a very strong-minded person, willing to risk her life for what she thinks is right. Always thinking of others and how she can help them. My eyes snapped open as I realized that in the short time that I have known Sheeta, she became the driving force in my life. She helped me to accomplish my one dream: Discover and fly to Laputa. Whenever she smiles, it's like all is right in the world. When she cried, I felt that I would never be happy again. When we were on the Tigermoth chasing after Muska, I was willing to do everything in my power to help her, even though I had met her only days before. I opened my eyes and watched the moon slowly rise over the surrounding trees. 

I grabbed the towel that I brought with me and quickly dried off.

A question came into my mind as I lit the small candle I brought with me and started back up the path. I had tried to ignore it for a long time but this time I couldn't banish it so easily.

What now? 

I reached the backdoor of the inn and slowly walked inside fully intending to go to sleep.

The tavern was empty now, having only upturned chairs on tables and the lingering smell of some strong liquor left in it. 

"Hey Mate, wait up a sec."

I turned towards the serving counter and saw Charlie wiping out a goblet with a dish rag and motioning for me to come and join him.

I walked in, took a seat, and leaned heavily on the bar as Charlie cleaned his glass and looked in interest at me.

"Enjoy your bath mate?"

"Yes." I replied, "That was just what I needed. It made me feel infinitely better."

"Good.  Listen I'm sorry for prying but I've gotta know. What are you two doing way out here alone? You don't have to answer but I don't thin—"

"No," I interrupted, "You've done so much for us that you deserve an explanation."

"It sounds like a long story."

"The longest type."

"We have all the time in the world."

"Well," I laughed, "Like all good stories, this one starts with a girl…"

And I told him everything. About Sheeta falling from the sky, the battle at the military base, the chase after Muska, and finally the destruction of the castle in the sky.

Charlie didn't say a word threw the entire story. I was starting to think he didn't believe me. He just kept polishing his ale goblet and watching with an interested expression.

The candles had burned down to the nubs when I finished my tale. I looked back at him and waiting for him to say something. He was looking at his glass making sure there were no spots or specks of dust. He placed the glass in front of me and asked, "Check that, make sure I got it all clean."

He walked farther down the bar and reached for something underneath the counter. I sighed and lay my head down on the bar. He didn't believe me. He helped us and now he'll want us out because he thinks we're telling lies. I heard him approach and I got ready to go get Sheeta and leave. As I prepared myself to lift my head and see the disappointment in his eyes, I heard him place something in front of me and sit down on the opposite side of the counter from me. I looked up and saw that he had placed another shot glass in front of me and was in the process of filling both glasses with some amber colored liquid.

I looked at him with a puzzled expression and he said, "You look like you need this. Hell, I need one just from listening to you."

"I don't understand, I thought you didn't believe me."

"For a moment I thought you were lying, but you have no reason to lie so you must be telling the truth. Rather simple really."

I watched in fascination as he downed his shot and looked and looked at me expectantly. I threw my head back and coughed at the burning sensation. My eyes watered as Charlie refilled both glasses and said, "So, What are you and your princess going to do now?"

"I don't know. Life became so much more complicated when Sheeta came into it." I looked down at the glass and whispered, "But it also became so much more wonderful."

"Ok, let's start a little simpler." said Charlie with a smile, "What are you going to do tomorrow?"

I looked up from my drink and smiled at him. "I might try to repair our kite for the trip home. Maybe try to get some supplies. I'll need to get some new clothes for Sheeta and me. 

I looked down at myself and took in just how dirty and dusty my clothes were.

Charlie laughed at my expression.

"I know a place where you can get your supplies in the morning, but right now you need to get some sleep."

Charlie looked at me with a small half-smile and said, "A toast to you and your Princess," He raised his glass, "May you find your happiness and your home."

I raised my glass and gently clinked the two drinks together.

As I walked slowly up the stairs and reached my hand out to enter the room I heard a soft sob. I leaned towards the door and realized that it was Sheeta who was crying.

I slowly opened the door and looked inside.

Sheeta was sitting on the small window seat and was looking out into the night. The moon had fully risen and was now casting a soft glow through the window. Tears were running down her face as she looked away from the window and faced me.

I didn't say a word as I walked to the window and sat down next to her.

"Paz-" She started.

 I placed one finger against her lips and she fell quite, a questioning look in her tearstained eyes.

I brought my hand away from her lips and slowly took her into my arms. She stiffened slightly at the contact but then leaned into my embrace, resting her head against my shoulder. We sat there for a few minutes until she started trembling, trying to hold in her sobs.

"It's alright Sheeta." I whispered, "I'm right here."

I felt her nod against my shoulder as she let out her sobs and cried as I held her in my arms. I wished with all my heart that I could make her sadness go away, but I knew that it was going to take a long time before Sheeta could feel normal again. Her whole world, all that she knew, had been shattered within the course of a week.

"I know," she replied with a slight crack in her voice, "You always are."

She looked up at me and gave a small smile. "I think it's time to go to sleep."

As she started to pull out of my arms I quickly tightened them and slowly lifted her into the air with a big grin on my face. As I carried her to the bed she gave a small laugh and wrapped her hands around my neck.

"Is this how you carried me that first night?"

"No, I carried you on my back because you got heavy after the first mile in my arms."

She gave a mock glare at me as I set her down on the bed. I leaned forward and placed a small kiss on her forehead and whispered, "Goodnight, my princess."

She looked up at me with a small smile and whispered back, "Goodnight, my prince."

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	4. There and Back Again

**Castle in the Sky**

Beginning Again

Disclaimer: It's not mine, I'm just borrowing them. 

**Chapter 4: The edge of the world, the end of the sky.**

CLANG!

"DAMN!"

I glanced over at my temporary assistant as he was hammering on a broken panel.

"Jake."

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG

The way he was slamming at it you would have thought the hammer would have broken by now. I walked closer to him and yelled over the sound.

"**JAKE!"**

"What?"

"When you took this panel out it was flat and square, right?"

"Yeah…"

"What shape is it now?"

"………Oval, I think?"

I sighed and closed my eyes, nursing my growing headache. This guy had been my temp for a little over a week. He was nothing like Pazu. While he was enthusiastic, his completed work left much to be desired. Pazu knew so much about engines that he could tell if there was a problem, know what was wrong, and have it fixed before I knew there was a problem. But this guy……

CLANG!

-Didn't know what an engine looked like, let alone how to fix one.

CLANG!

"Jake, why don't you call it a day."

"You sure? I can help clean up the-"

"Jake, go home."

"Ok, See you tomorrow!" he shouted as he ran down the tunnel.

"Not if I can help it." I muttered to myself as I turned to back to the ruined panel.

Since Pazu has been gone, many things have changed at our village, the most notable being the reopening of many of the mines. Our perseverance had finally paid off. The vein of silver that we were hoping to find, the one that we searched so much for had finally been found. The amount of silver that has been pouring out of the mines is almost staggering to behold. While the work is still back-breaking, we can finally go to sleep on full stomachs instead of wondering if we were going to eat tomorrow. But with our extra pay came extra work, and when your best worker ups and leaves for two weeks you got to take what you can get. And that meant Jake was the new engineer for the time being.

Lucky me.

I looked at the destroyed covering and decided that even trying to fix it would be more hassle than just fashioning a new one. I threw the piece of scrap into the corner of the mine and walked towards my office. While not much, this little shack was where the brains of the operation were kept. All the buyers, sellers, and workers files were kept in that building. The whole business of the valley in a twenty by twelve building. Hard to believe. As I entered the building, I came to the sudden conclusion that this "brain" is going to need an operation itself soon. Stacks of unsorted papers littered the desk and surrounding floor space. The mountain of old coffee cups in the corner was close to three feet tall. File cabinets were left open and papers were hanging out of them. Chaos ruled supreme.

I once again cursed the fact that Pazu, the true manager of this place, is out playing hero with the damsel in distress. He is going to get such an earful. Lowering myself onto the slightly dusty chair, I closed my eyes for just a bit. The last shift ended over an hour ago. There was nobody around but me. I think I deserved a little relaxation time, even if it is just a few minutes long.

My mind backtracked to when Pazu first came to this valley. Joseph, his father, was a well-respected pilot with a son just learning how to read. They came to this valley to get away from the big city where they lived before. Pazu's mother had died in child-birth and I didn't think Joseph could cope with being in surroundings that reminded him so much of his wife. When they arrived they had nothing but the clothes on their backs and a single suitcase each.

Joseph was a fine man. Standing at well over six foot tall with broad shoulders he could even give me a run for my money if we were ever to get into a fight. Hard working and with a sense of honor that could not be swayed, the single women would often flock toward him when he came into the town. But he never took any of them home with him. He would talk kindly with every one that approached him but there was never anything more than friendship in his words. I think he loved his wife too much to betray her memory. The first time I met him he was talking to the bartender asking about work.

"Hey Buddy!" He looked over at me from the bar stool.

"I heard you're a pilot." I called over to him.

"That's correct." He responded with a small smirk.

"Think you could run a delivery for me?" I asked with a smile.

"Think you could get me a plane?"

I laughed, "Planes I got, pilots I lack."

And with that we started our friendship. He would run shipments to the nearby towns and while he might have worked for me, he never really acted like it. He was his own man. We might as well have started our partnership then and there. While we were as different as night and day it never conflicted with our friendship. He spent his time up in the clouds and mine was under the earth. He was a quiet and stoic man while I was a little more loud and hotheaded. He got me out of more trouble than I care to remember because of my overly fast mouth.

I reached over the cluttered strewn desk and picked up a framed photograph. It was taken shortly before he started his trip in search of the legendary Laputa. We were standing side by side smiling cockily at the camera with the small airship he built in the background. The same one that he discovered Laputa with. The same one that I had helped him build. We were more than just business partners; we were friends than would do anything for each other. We were like brothers.

I keep staring at the photo even as I feel tears flowing into my eyes. I was one of the few people who knew the whole story of his trip to Laputa. About how he found it, how he fought the storm from hell to get to it, how he managed to take that one picture. How the ship we built from nothing was destroyed in the process.

I was the man that flew with him. We discovered Laputa together.

The storm was so bad that I thought that we would be thrown right out of the ship. I was never for flying. I thought people should always have their feet firmly on the ground. Joseph however, spent as much time in the air as possible. I think I shocked him as much as myself when I agreed to go on his crazy quest. To cut a long story short, it didn't end the way I hoped it would. The airship was hit by a rough gust of wind and split in half. All I remember was trying to grab a hold of something solid while falling through the air. The parachutes saved both of our lives. While he landed right next to the mine, I was pushed along with the wind currents and landed in a town nearly two weeks travel away. Getting back was hell.

When I walked into town those two long weeks later people thought I was a ghost. They said they had already had a funeral service for me. Joseph must have told them about the crash. When I asked about Joseph, they laughed and asked why I would want to speak with that liar. I was told that he had died shortly after he had arrived back in town. I found out later that they had run him out of the town with death threats if he should ever return. They blamed him for my supposed death. Even though he had shown them nothing but honesty and hard work they had called him a fake and a liar. Damn hypocrites. He had died two days before I arrived back home.

As I sat in the bar with everybody praising my return a man came up and starting insulting the memory of the greatest pilot the valley had ever seen. I broke three bones in my hand when I hit him. His jaw was broken in two places and the window he hit was smashed when he finally stopped flying. Nobody spoke much of Joseph after that.

When I left the bar I saw little Pazu walking in the rain toward his home. He turned towards me and just stared at me. It was hard to tell it those were tears running down his face or just the rain. But I knew what was running down my face. I slowly walked over to him and as I approached he just looked at me. I fell to my knees and looked right back at him. He finally turned away and stared at the sky. What he said still chills me right to the bone.

"I'm going to find it. I believe my dad and I'm going to prove to everyone that he was telling the truth."

By the time he had completed that sentence my outlook of him changed completely. He was his father's son. As I held him in the rain I tried to convince myself that I was comforting him and not myself. It didn't work so well.

After that I sort of became his unofficial guardian. He chose to live in his home by himself and not to move in with my family. He started working for me later that week.

RING!

The sound scared the thoughts from my mind and I quickly wiped the tears from my face.

"Hello? Hi love. No, the work is finished I'm just reminiscing. Alright, I'm on my way now. Love you too."

I hung up and take one more quick look at the picture. I missed him. I stared at the words written in the messy scrawl at the bottom of the photo.

"**To the edge of the world and the end of the sky."**

As I walked back out of the office, I glanced up at the sky and said softly,

"You better get back here alive you little punk. Your father would never forgive me if anything happened to you."

AN: A billion thanks to CE Yume for her editing work. Please, if you have any ideas on where to take this leave it in a review. I promise that it won't take that long to update again.


	5. Till The Morning Comes

AN: Ok. After rereading my previous AN, I realized just how badly it could be taken out of context. Oops:D But no worries! Things are good. I have a semblance of a direction I want this story to go in. My reviewers are awesome. And maybe I'll be able to keep on track.

Remember: I am not a writer. I am figuring it out as I go. :D

**Chapter 5: Till The Morning Comes**

I don't know how long I slept. It might have been mere seconds or it could have been years. It was the first time I had managed to sleep without nightmares in a very long time. As I cracked open one eye to the bright sunshine streaming into the room, Pazu gave a soft snore and turned farther into me. I blushed as I realized what an awkward position we were in. I was lying with my head on his chest and Pazu had his arm around me, holding me like he was afraid I would disappear.

I closed my eyes and snuggled closer to him, enjoying the way he wrapped his arm even tighter around me. I listened to the steady sound of his heartbeat and felt the slow rise and fall of his chest. I didn't want the day to begin yet. I wasn't ready to go out and rebuild my life again. As I slowly fell back into a comfortable darkness, I felt a soft even pressure stroking through my hair. I knew then that Pazu was awake and was watching me. Instead of feeling uncomfortable like I thought I would, all I felt was warmth and happiness. Pazu stroked my hair for a few minutes and then slowly started shifting like he wanted to get out of the bed. I tightened my grip on his shirt and pulled myself even closer to him. Pazu froze for a few seconds and then slowly relaxed and continued caressing my hair. I gave a soft smile and whispered, "Sorry Pazu, I'm not ready for this night to end yet."

His hand froze once again and I listened to his heart speed up. "I'm sorry." He whispered, "I didn't mean to wake you." I opened my eyes and turned my head to stare into his. They were very wide and looked just a little scared. I smiled at him and watched the frightened look slowly disappear. I closed my eyes and laid my head back down on his chest and whispered, "I'm not awake yet."

His hand once again continued.

When next I woke, Pazu had awoken and was washing his face in a small basin near the window. I stayed silent and watched as he went through what looked like a normal morning routine, something simple and familiar regardless of his current location far away from home. He splashed more water on his face and stared critically at his reflection. He stared at his face, looking this way and that, examining every inch. He slowly ran a finger across the small scar on his cheek given to him by Muska. His face was scrunched up in what looked like intense concentration. I kept silent as I watched a myriad of emotions cross his face in rapid succession. As I slowly rose up and placed my feet on the floor, Pazu turned and gave me a small smile.

"Just remembering what happened."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I should be asking you that question."

"It always seems like you are taking care of me. I thought I would return the favor just a little."

His small grin grew into a full blown smile and he gave a light chuckle. "Ever since you dropped into my arms, you have been helping me whether you know it or not." He walked toward the bed and sat down next to me. I sat listening as he pulled on his boots and began lacing them up. "I have spent my entire life in Slagg's Ravine, dreaming of flying through the sky. I trained everyday. When I wasn't at the mine, I was at home pouring over my dad's old flight charts or working on my plane. I had logistics planned out. I had previous locations of the castle memorized. I learned how to read the air currents and how to navigate in total darkness."

He finished one boot and started on the next one. "But deep down, against all of the optimism I had about finding the castle, I didn't think I would be able to do it. This part of me rationalized that I had spent my life in this little city, and I would probably spend the rest of it there. High flying dreams don't put food on the table and they don't keep the house repaired. The job at the mine did. One day, I woke up and realized that I was doing the same things over and over. I was looking at charts when I already knew what was on them. I was looking at pictures when I knew what they would show. And in the past year the only actual work that I had done, was fixing broken machines in the mine and some tinkering on a shell of a plane." He finished the second boot and sat up, squeaking the bed and turning towards me. "The day before we met, I had almost given up. I felt so bad; I was letting my dad down with out even trying. He was the one always going on about working hard and following your dreams. And I was about to give up."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I reached my arm out and ran it across his back in a comforting motion. He opened his eyes and looked at me and I felt my breath catch in my throat. He raised his hand and ran it across my cheek and the skin there felt like it was on fire. "When you showed up, my life suddenly had a purpose. I had a reason for doing what I did. The knowledge I thought I would never use, all the flight training, the wind navigation, I had a reason for doing what I did." His thumb was making soft circles and I was having a hard time keeping my breath steady. "You talk about how I saved your life up there. But in reality, you saved mine long before we flew together."

His hand stilled as we stared into each others eyes. My heart was beating so hard I was sure he could hear it. My body started moving of its own accord. I felt myself leaning forward slowly, closer to Pazu. My eyes slowly slid closed as I felt him shift and his hand softly grasped the side of my head……

The loud knock on the door startled me out of my unexplained stupor. Pazu whipped his head around towards the door, dropping his arm from my face, as Charley entered loudly.

"Rise and shine! It's Breakfast time!"

As we were shepherded downstairs by Charley towards the silent bar, I saw what looked like a small pile of charcoal on a large plate resting on a table.

"Charlie?"

"Yes." He responded.

"What is that?" I asked pointing towards the table.

"That's breakfast!"

"Charlie, what exactly are we having for breakfast?" I asked eyeing the plate warily.

He looked thoughtful for a second, "……breakfast!"

I sighed and placed my hands on my hips, "What is in this breakfast?"

"I am not exactly 100 sure at this point, but I knew I cracked at least 2 eggs and used up most of my butter! I am sure you can see why this is a pub and not a restaurant."

Pazu sat down in front of the plate looking at it with a slightly dubious expression as he picked up a fork and stabbed it into the "eggs." Biting into them with a pained look on his face, he gave a very forced smile and said, "They aren't too bad."

Charlie gave a loud laugh and said, "You don't have to eat those. I figured I would at least try to make a good meal. It is obvious that I don't have that particular skill."

"Charlie? Where is the kitchen?" I asked.

"In the back." He said pointing to a door behind the bar. "I don't really use it for much besides storage and preparing garnishes."

"Do you mind if I give breakfast a shot?" I asked. I could see Pazu instantly perk up and look in my direction out of the corner of my eye. Inside I gave a small smile, glad to know that he enjoyed my cooking. Charlie also looked excited. "You can cook?" He exclaimed.

"A little." I said.

"Don't let her be so modest." Pazu called out. "She makes the best soup I have ever had in my life."

I sputtered, trying to deny it, but secretly on the inside I was warmed to my core.

As Pazu, Charlie, and I sat down to a small meal of omelets, bacon, and fresh squeezed orange juice, Charlie told stories about his life in Norvallen and about how he inherited the pub from his uncle when he passed away.

"Yeah, I used to work at the local train yards repairing the engines when they broke down. Made enough money to get by with a roof over my head and food in my belly. When my uncle died, he left everything to me, including this old place."

He slapped his hand on the table and looked around the silent bar with a small smile on his face.

The bar itself ran the entire length of the room with stools lining it. Four or five person tables were scattered around with the chairs upended on the tops. A small stage sat in the corner with a microphone stand in the middle and numerous sets of instruments sat racked up on one wall. A general feeling of well used comfort just permeated the room. A feeling of relaxation. I looked at Charlie and saw him just sort of reveling in the place. This was his home, no matter where he slept. Charlie looked up and saw me staring and gave me a big cheesy grin. "I have never regretted leaving the yards for this. I still just make just enough money to get by, but I love doing this. Simple work with friends that come over every night o make it enjoyable. My perfect life!" He looked over at Pazu and saw him eyeing the instruments on the wall. "Oy, Pazu!" He called out startling him, "You play anything?"

Pazu looked down and gave a small smile, "I play a little horn, or trumpet if you got it."

"Now look who is being modest." I said with a smile, "Pazu used the play the trumpet every morning as a sort of wake-up and welcome the day. He is a very good player."

Pazu was blushing very brightly at this point. "A fellow musician!" Charlie exclaimed, "And a man after my own heart. I could never get the trumpet, just didn't have the aptitude. But I can play a little piano and saxophone. "We'll have to get together sometime and….." He paused and I could almost see the light bulb turn on over his head.

"Hey Pazu, lets give it a shot for a bit. Your lovely lady over there has gone on about how good a player you are. I want to hear a bit."

Pazu started to object but was cutoff as Charlie pulled him up from his chair and walked him over to the stage. I sat back sipping my glass of orange juice as he halfheartedly tried to get Charlie to change his mind.

"Alright, try and imagine this, It's dark on stage. You are holding this in your hands." He picks up a brightly shined brass trumpet and hands it to Pazu. He holds it like it's made of glass. "Ok, now close your eyes. The drummer starts up a nice easy beat, the pianist gives a few chords, the audience gets very quiet. You open your eyes and look out and you see the prettiest girl in the joint. What would you play?" Pazu opens his eyes and looks directly at me as Charlie sits behind the piano, watching Pazu's every move, and begins to play a soft into to a song. As Pazu brings the horn up to his lips, his eyes never leave mine as he starts to play.


End file.
